[A-List] UK state: London mayoral election

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Banks goes for Green alliance

Patrick Wintour, chief political correspondent
Friday October 11, 2002
The Guardian

Labour should consider allying with the Greens rather than Ken Livingstone
in London, Tony Banks, Labour candidate for mayor, proposed yesterday.

Mr Banks' suggestion came as Labour sent ballot papers to 40,000 party
members in London and 300,000 affiliated trade unionists. Mr Banks is
competing against Nicky Gavron, Labour deputy mayor, and Bill Shannon,
political officer of the engineering union Amicus, for the party's choice of
candidate.

With 80% of the party electorate expected to vote as soon as the papers hit
doormats, the result will be effectively decided in the next few days. The
three candidates held their first hustings last night in Newham, east
London.

So far the campaign has been dominated by Labour's approach to Mr
Livingstone, elected as mayor on an independent ticket against party
candidate Frank Dobson, and who failed to be readmitted to the party in the
summer.

Ms Gavron has a close working alliance with Mr Livingstone. If selected, she
would urge voters to make him their second preference in the mayoral
elections, a strategy to stymie Steve Norris, the likely Tory candidate. She
was "standing to unite Labour in London and keep the Tories out".

Mr Banks said yesterday that the issue of second preference was largely
tactical, need not be decided now, and anyway should be left to the party.

There were "clear signs" the honeymoon with Mr Livingstone was over, he
said, predicting congestion charging in the capital, due in February, might
turn him into a lame duck by the date of the mayoral election in 2004.

"If we shackle Labour to Livingstone, and he sinks, we sink too." He
suggested: "If his slide continues, it might be the best interests of Labour
are served by an alliance with other progressives such as the Greens. After
all, we have the example of a red-green government in Germany." Ms Gavron's
emphasis on the second preference gave the impression she was not committed
to winning for Labour.

Mr Banks has name recognition, a huge advantage, but Ms Gavron has the
support of most unions in London and as many as 25 London MPs. With 50% of
votes in the electoral college, a strong showing in the union section is
vital.

There are some in Labour who cannot abide Mr Banks. Christine Shawcroft, a
leftwinger on the national executive, was vitriolic in the activist sheet,
London Labour Briefing: "After years of suffering from delusions of
grandeur, the jester at the court of King Tony has sunk to a new low. Tony
Banks' decision to stand has only one possible objective - to launch a
divisive personal attack on Livingstone."